What is a Career in Group Therapy Like in Alabama?

In the state of North Carolina becoming a group therapist involves a host of steps including going to undergraduate and graduate school to obtain a Master’s degree in the field. In addition to this it also takes many clinical hours of experience in order to be able to get your license to practice. Taking these steps are often very stressful for those who pursue a degree in clinical psychology which is the reason why it is very important to ensure that you want to embark on this path before enrolling into your undergraduate degree program of psychology. Though the time you spend in school can be longer than with many other jobs, the work that you do when you become a group therapist is seen by a great number of people as very self fulfilling and rewarding. In addition the job outlook for group therapy as well as many other types of therapy is better than many fields with a substantial increase in psychology jobs expected to come in the next few years. As job stability is hard to come by in this economy you may want to look into becoming a group therapist not only for the stability but for the competitive salary and benefits of working in the field.

In order to get your license to practice group therapy, going to graduate school after completing your 4 year undergraduate degree in psychology or another discipline that is related to group therapy is a must as a first step. In order to improve your chances of getting further on in your degree plans by attending graduate school a number of things can be done during your undergraduate years. These activities can include searching for research opportunities that your school offers or getting relevant work experience through an internship in a mental health facility or another that offers group therapy. Getting research and internship experience not only looks good on a resume for graduate school but it can also give you the experience that you need to be successful in the field across the board. This experience in addition to your undergraduate courses will help you to learn about your likes and dislikes in the field in order to ensure that you feel comfortable pursuing your graduate school degree to work in the position of a group therapist. Though graduate school can be hard to get into, making the effort to get as much experience as you can gives you an edge among other applicants with many schools.

In addition to your career in school, getting licensed also requires you to complete a variety of activities out of school as well. Many states require you to take an exam after graduating with your master’s or doctorate degree in order to be licensed and North Carolina is no exception to the rule. During your career as a student of psychology you will also have to go through a series of clinical trials to qualify for your license. This can take many hours of your time during the year but in order to reach your goal of becoming a clinical psychologist or group therapist this step is necessary to give you further experience past the level of an internship. As during these trials you will be acting as a professional in the field it is important to do your best to apply the techniques you learn in school to the job in order to help people in an adequate manner. Group therapy can be a job that offers you the opportunity to profoundly impact a person’s life so it is your duty to do the best that you can to make sure you give quality advice and to use your knowledge to correctly help these people.